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Etihad Stadium striker has apparently run out of second chances. Roberto Mancini admits he will look to sell the young Italian forward when the transfer window re-opens.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini cast doubt over Mario Balotelli’s future after his red card in the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.

The Italy striker was dismissed for two bookable offences as City fell eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.

His challenge on Alex Song, missed by the referee, may be investigated by the Football Association.
Asked whether he would try to sell Balotelli, Mancini said: “Probably.”

He admitted Balotelli, who has scored 17 goals in 31 club appearances this season, is now unlikely to play again this campaign.

“I like him as a guy and a player,” added Mancini, who signed Balotelli from Inter Milan for £24m in August 2010 .

“He is not a bad guy and a fantastic player but I’m very sorry for him as he continues to lose his talent and his quality.
“I don’t have any words for his behaviour.

“I hope for him he can understand he is in a bad way for his future and I really hope that he can change his behaviour in the future. He will probably not play in the next six games.

“I need to be sure I always have 11 players on the pitch and with Mario this is a big risk.”

SOURCE: BBC Sport

Arguably Roberto Mancini should have already have sold Mario Balotelli or at the very least punished him for his past misdemeanours, instead he has allowed the young Italian to get away with too much and as a result he has seen the striker once again let Man City down.

There is no denying the obvious ability the 21 year old striker possesses but he is simply a liability that Man City can not afford to risk keeping at the club any longer. Whilst his off field antics attract unnecessary publicity they were at least issues that Mancini can laugh off but when his erratic behaviour occurs on the field of play then that is another matter.

Balotelli has now collected an amazing 20 yellow cards and four reds in the space of just 58 Man City appearances and during the Arsenal game he should have already have been sent off for an awful challenge on Alex Song and the combination of that reckless tackle plus the penalty for the sending off later on in the match could well lead to a lengthy ban.

Whilst at Inter Milan the Italian international had similar problems that led to his time at the San Siro becoming untenable and the same is set to become true of his time at the Etihad Stadium.